Fight Fire With Fire

Florida pastor, Terry Jones, wants everybody to remember the 9th anniversary of the attacks of 9/11 by burning the Quran (or Koran, or whatever).  And, although I can understand his sentiment, I think he is misguided.  But, I don't think he is nearly as misguided as his critics.

The media is collectively exasperated at this heinous plan.  They are frightened of provoking Islamic extremists (although they usually act as if "Radical Islam" doesn't exist).  Even the U.S. Commander in Afghanistan, General David Petraeus, decided to chime in.

“[Images of the burning] would be used by those who wish us ill, to incite violence and to enflame public opinion against us and against our mission here in Afghanistan"

Do you know what I have to say to these people who would like to suspend a man's Constitutional right to Freedom of Speech (not to mention Freedom of Religion) based on the fact that they are fearful it might be too provocative for Muslims around the world?...

Let's make that jobless number fifteen million... and ONE.

Last Monday, General Stanley McChrystal, the commander of all U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan, called up Joe Biden and apologized.  He was apologizing for comments his men made in the presence of a Rolling Stones skunk journalist that would be appearing later in the week.  At that time, the Vice President had no clue what Gen. McChrystal was apologizing for... but, today, the General was fired.

Well, if a Rolling Stone article can get the a General fired, it must have had some pretty damning stuff in it, right?
As the Wall Street Journal puts it, General McChrystal and his men "casually mocked the vice president as a nobody, National Security Adviser James Jones as a 'clown' and the president himself as uncomfortable with military leaders and initially unengaged on defense policy."

If you read the article, you'll be surprised by 2 things.  First, almost none of the most salacious quotes are from McChrystal himself, but from men around him.  And, second, the most salacious stuff  reads like this:

"Biden?" suggests a top adviser. "Did you say: Bite Me?"

 According to sources familiar with the meeting, McChrystal thought Obama looked "uncomfortable and intimidated" by the roomful of military brass.

The quotes from the General himself go more like this:

Observing his team. "All these men," he tells me. "I'd die for them. And they'd die for me."

You should really read the article yourself.  I'm sure the writer was disgusted by how men talk, and expected he was exposing something.  But, to service men and women, this will all seem very tame.  Hell, from anybody who spent time in a little league dugout, this will seem pretty tame.  But, I digress...